TWO PEACEMAKER POPES—JOHN XXIII AND FRANCIS

Both have stepped over the barriers of ideology or religion to evoke bonds of a common humanity committed to promoting the well-being of all people, especially the poor and marginalized.John XXIII was a stretcher bearer in the First World War and saw first hand the carnage of war and human suffering. In April 1963, he published his encyclical “Peace on Earth” (Pacem in Terris) in which he called for dialogue between different political systems to lessen the chance of another frightful war.Pope Francis is seeking a similar path as capitalism struggles to manage gross inequalities in living standards. He used to visit the poor areas in Buenos Aires. (full text —”Eureka Street” 23 April 2014).Inequality is present in our own country. The Business Review Weekly states the top seven richest Australians own $56 billion while 4,500,000 Australians at the other end, own $54 billion. (Australian Bureau of Statistics).